Preparing for the NFL Draft is a year-round affair. Even while the season is going on, the college scouts and personnel department are hard at work getting a head start on next year’s crop of talent. When it comes to college football matchups, there are none bigger than the SEC rivalry of Alabama versus Georgia. That is taking place tonight, and according to Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy on X, the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of 16 teams that will have scouts present.
The only two GMs scheduled to be there are Brad Holmes of the Detroit Lions and Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears. Zack Crockett is the Steelers’ southeast area scout, so he will likely be in attendance, but there could also be more names, given the wealth of future NFL talent that will be playing. It wouldn’t be surprising for the director of college scouting, Dan Colbert, or others to be present for the marquee matchup.
The Steelers have frequently dipped into the talent pools of these two programs over the years. Broderick Jones, George Pickens, and Darnell Washington are all former Georgia Bulldogs. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Najee Harris, and Anthony Averett are former players for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Last year, eight players from Georgia were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, the sixth-most of any college program in the country. Alabama had ten players drafted for the 13th consecutive season, including three in the first round.
Top prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft in this game include QBs Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe, edge players Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker, safety Malaki Starks, offensive linemen Tyler Booker, Tate Ratledge, Earnest Greene, and Parker Brailsford, and tight end Oscar Delp. That is just some of the extensive list we will probably hear about in the early portions of 2025 leading up to the draft.
This is just the first step of a long process for the scouting department. They will likely attend at least another few games for each program this season, and then there will be the All-Star games, pro days, NFL Pro Scouting Combine, and player interviews to get to know the players better. Often, they will identify players they are interested in by attending these games and follow up on that interest later in the process.
